Graphical human-machine interface on a portable device

• US 20030107588A1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iconics, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Iconics, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Phelps, James, Elsbree, Christopher N., Apostolakis, Ioannis S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,017,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A software development toolkit automates and eases the task of generating graphical human-machine interfaces that are interactive control modules or software necessary to control a process. A graphical human-machine interface is created on a computer using a first operating system. The graphical human-machine interface can be operated on a portable computing device that uses an operating system that is less capable than the first operating system. The graphical human-machine interface process control modules allow a user to control a process by using the portable computing device as a user control station. The operation of the graphical human-machine interface process control software on the portable computing device can be simulated on the computer that uses the first, more capable operating system. The portable computing device can be a handheld portable computing device. The second, less capable operating system can be Windows CE.

Claims

1. A method of creating a graphical human-machine interface, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a computer using a first operating system;

(b) providing a portable computing device in communication with the computer, the portable computing device using a second operating system that is less capable than the first operating system;

(c) generating on the computer a graphical human-machine interface operable on the portable computing device; and

(d) transferring the graphical human-machine interface from the computer to the portable computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after step (c), the step of simulating on the computer the operation of the graphical human-machine interface on the portable computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(e) operating the graphical human-machine interface on the portable computing device; and

(f) transmitting between the computer and the portable computing device information related to the operation of the graphical human-machine interface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical the human-machine interface is adapted to control at least one process parameter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises generating on the computer a graphical human-machine interface operable on the portable computing device, the graphical human-machine interface comprising a processor-independent graphical human-machine interface object and a provided run-time engine specific to a selected processor present on the portable computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second operating system is Windows CE.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable computing device is a handheld portable computing device.

8. A computer program recorded on a machine-readable medium, comprising:

(a) a module that operates on a computer to allow a user of the computer to generate a graphical human-machine interface that is operable on a portable computing device, the computer uses a first operating system and the portable computing device uses a second operating system having less capability than the first operating system;

(b) a module that operates on the computer to simulate the operation of the graphical human-machine interface on the portable computing device; and

(c) a module that operates on the computer to transfer, from the computer to the portable computing device, the graphical human-machine interface.

9. The computer program of claim 8, further comprising:

(d) a module that operates on the computer to transfer, between the computer and the portable computing device, information related to the operation of the human-machine interface.

10. The computer program of claim 8 wherein the graphical human-machine interface comprises a graphical human-machine interface for process control.

11. The computer program of claim 8 wherein the graphical human-machine interface comprises a processor-independent graphical human-machine interface object and a run-time engine specific to a selected processor.

12. The computer program of claim 8 wherein the second operating system is Windows CE.

13. The computer program of claim 8 wherein the portable computing device is a handheld portable computing device.

14. A method of controlling a process, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a computer using a first operating system;

(b) providing a portable computing device in communication with the computer, the portable computing device using a second operating system that is less capable than the first operating system;

(c) providing a graphical human-machine interface operable on the portable computing device, the graphical human-machine interface generated on the computer;

(d) operating the graphical human-machine interface on the portable computing device; and

(e) exchanging information between the computer and the portable computing device, so as to control at least one parameter of a process.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein step (d) comprises operating the graphical human-machine interface on the portable computing device to display both graphical information and alphanumeric information.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the second operating system is Windows CE.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the portable computing device is a handheld portable computing device.